And while I'll admit that the status of gay folks in Russia still has a long ways to go (especially at the local level), a couple of additional points here. a) Russian sodomy laws were struck down in 1993 (there are still over a dozen states in the U.S. where it remains illegal), b) the Russians agreed to protect LGBT rights at the 29th U.N. Human Rights Summit, and c) they actually got rid of their ban on gays in the military prior to us (though, yes, a lot of gays remain in the closet during their time in the service due to social pressures).......Just for a wider lens on the picture.